The primary election gets out of the gate this week with a four-week stretch to the finish line. There are 16,732 registered voters in Fountain Hills. That number should be up to date as of May this year prior to the special election for the property tax.

It would be great if we could get as many of those people to the polls to cast a ballot as possible. We know we won’t get everyone, but there will be plenty of time and options for voting this time around.

If you are on the early voter list you will receive a ballot in the mail by the end of this week. If you want an early ballot mailed to you, the deadline to make that request is Friday, Aug. 17 (they need time to get the ballot out to you and for you to send it back).

About 10 days before the election (that is what it was in May) Maricopa County will open a voting center at the Fountain Hills Community Center. This site will have daily hours (dates and times will be available later this week) where people can drop off their early ballot instead of the mailbox, get a replacement ballot for a missing or spoiled ballot and even vote in person early.

For those who want to vote the old fashioned way and go to a polling site on Election Day, you will have that option. The Community Center will serve voters living in three of the town’s five precincts, Fountain Hills, Four Peaks and Golden Eagle. If you live in the Saguaro or Palisades precincts you will go to the First Baptist Church on Saguaro Boulevard to vote on Election Day.

If you want to know more about the candidates for Town Council you can go to The Times’ website, fhtimes.com, and find the candidate bios and their answers to six questions posed by The Times staff.

With plenty of options for getting a ballot and checking it off, the only excuse for not voting is lack of interest, and do you really want to fall into that category these days? Remember, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.